Neck lift · Platysmaplasty

Neck lift: Compare practices from our network

A neck lift tightens loose skin and muscle bands in the neck to restore a defined jawline. It is often combined with a facelift.

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Medically reviewed by Professor Ash Mosahebi, Senior teaching post, Royal College of Surgeons. Among the first in the UK to perform VASER liposuction.Last reviewed August 2025

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Neck lift providers from Adoreal's partner network.

4 practices

Linköping · Sweden
Plastikakademin
Neck lift (halslyft) alongside facelift and forehead lift, by a university-affiliated surgical team.
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Linköping · Sweden

Plastikakademin

Neck lift (halslyft) alongside facelift and forehead lift, by a university-affiliated surgical team.

Book a consultation View practice profile

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Decision support

How to choose a neck lift surgeon

Board certification is the starting point. The details below are worth weighing carefully when you're choosing the surgeon who's right for your goals.

Here's what to look for before you decide:

A good surgeon works out which layer is the problem.

Loose skin, vertical platysma bands, and fat under the chin are three different findings. A surgeon who examines each and explains which is driving your concern is planning the right operation, not a default one.

The face and neck should be assessed together.

Treating the neck while ignoring the jawline and lower face often creates a visible mismatch. A surgeon who assesses both and tells you honestly whether a combined approach is better is thinking about the whole result.

Ask whether you need surgery at all yet.

Where laxity is mild and fat is the main issue, injectable fat reduction or energy-based tightening may be reasonable first steps. A surgeon who mentions non-surgical options is not losing a sale, they are being honest.

Scar placement should be specific.

Incisions typically run behind and around the ears, sometimes with a small one under the chin. Ask where yours will sit and how they will be hidden by hair or natural creases.

Transparency about your plan and expectations is non-negotiable.

Your surgeon should be comfortable documenting the technique planned, whether platysma repair or liposuction is included, expected scar placement, and week-by-week recovery, and sharing it with you in writing.

Before your consultation, prepare this question

“Is my neck concern skin, muscle, or fat, and would a facelift alone address it?”

A surgeon who examines the platysma and jawline properly, and recommends combining or not combining, is planning for harmony.

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About the treatment

About neck lift

A neck lift addresses the loose skin, muscle laxity, and fat that soften the jawline over time. It restores definition between the jaw and neck, and is frequently performed alongside a facelift for a consistent result.

What is a neck lift?

A neck lift, sometimes called a lower rhytidectomy or platysmaplasty, tightens the skin and underlying muscle of the neck. Where the platysma muscle has separated into visible vertical bands, it can be repaired and tightened.

Excess fat under the chin can be removed by liposuction at the same time, and the combination is what produces a clean, defined jawline.

What it can address

A neck lift is usually considered for one or more of the following:

Loose or sagging neck skin
Vertical muscle bands visible in the neck
Fullness or fat under the chin
Loss of definition along the jawline
A neck that looks older than the face

Surgical and non-surgical options

Not every neck concern needs surgery. Your surgeon should explain the range:

Neck lift with platysmaplasty, tightening skin and repairing separated muscle. The most comprehensive option.
Submental liposuction, removing fat under the chin where skin quality is good.
Injectable fat reduction, for modest submental fullness without laxity.
Radiofrequency or ultrasound tightening, for mild laxity, with minimal downtime and modest effect.

The treatment, step by step

Consultation. Your surgeon examines skin laxity, platysma bands, submental fat, and jawline definition, then recommends a technique and discusses whether to combine with a facelift.
Preparations. Medication adjustments, stopping smoking, and planning for two to three weeks of visible swelling and bruising.
Anesthesia. General anesthesia or sedation with local anesthetic, depending on the extent of the treatment.
Access and muscle repair. Incisions behind and around the ears, often with a small one under the chin, allow the platysma to be tightened and any separated bands repaired.
Fat removal and redraping. Excess fat is removed where needed, and skin is redraped and trimmed rather than pulled tight.
Closing. Incisions are closed with fine sutures placed in natural creases and behind the hairline. A supportive dressing or garment may be applied.

Recovery and aftercare

Swelling and bruising around the neck and jaw are heaviest in the first week and settle over two to three weeks. A feeling of tightness when turning the head is normal early on.

Sleep with your head elevated to reduce swelling
Avoid strenuous activity and heavy lifting for several weeks
Avoid extremes of neck movement in early recovery
Protect incisions from sun exposure
Attend follow-ups so healing and sutures can be managed

Most patients feel presentable at two to three weeks. Definition continues to improve as swelling resolves, with final results developing over several months.

Risks and side effects

Neck lift surgery is generally safe, but it carries specific risks worth understanding:

Swelling and bruising, expected and resolving over weeks.
Changes in skin sensation, with numbness around the neck and ears usually improving over months.
Nerve injury, rare, which could affect the muscles moving the lower lip or the sensation of the ear.
Hematoma, a collection of blood requiring drainage, most likely in the first day.
Scarring, generally well hidden but permanent.
Skin loss, rare, and significantly more likely in smokers.

When to seek medical attention

Rapidly increasing swelling on one side, which may indicate a hematoma
Fever, or increasing redness, warmth, or discharge from an incision
New weakness or asymmetry of the lower lip
Difficulty breathing or swallowing

Contact your surgeon’s practice directly, or seek emergency care, if you experience any of the above.

Common questions

Neck lift questions, answered.

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Do I need a neck lift or a facelift?

Often both, since the face and neck age together. A surgeon who assesses your jawline and lower face alongside your neck can tell you whether treating one alone would leave a visible mismatch.

What causes the vertical bands in my neck?

Separation of the platysma muscle, which runs across the neck. Tightening and repairing it, called platysmaplasty, is what addresses those bands. Skin tightening alone will not.

Can liposuction alone fix my neck?

Sometimes, where the issue is fat under the chin and your skin still has good elasticity. Where skin is loose, removing fat alone can make laxity more apparent.

Is there a non-surgical option?

For mild laxity or modest submental fullness, injectable fat reduction and energy-based tightening can help. They are modest in effect and not a substitute where skin is significantly loose.

Where will the scars be?

Typically behind and around the ears, often with a small incision under the chin. They are placed in natural creases and behind the hairline to stay discreet.

How long is the recovery?

Swelling and bruising are heaviest in the first week and largely settle by two to three weeks. Final definition develops over several months.

How long do results last?

Many patients enjoy the improvement for years. Surgery does not stop aging, so gradual change continues, and weight fluctuation affects the neck noticeably.

Will my neck feel tight afterward?

Yes, initially. A sensation of tightness when turning the head is normal in early recovery and eases as swelling resolves and tissues settle.

What are the main risks?

Swelling and bruising, altered sensation, hematoma in the first day, and rarely nerve injury or skin loss. Smoking substantially increases the risk of healing problems.

Can it be combined with other treatments?

Commonly with a facelift, and often with eyelid surgery or fat transfer. Combining affects anesthesia time and recovery, so discuss the trade-offs at consultation.